Cliff Side
by Codiak
Summary: When a field trip goes awry, Danny Fenton decides to step it up.


****This has been edited.**

* * *

"Ally!" her mother, Janet, screamed.

It was supposed to be a simple tour to Amity Park Canyon, and then this happened. Ally, a little girl of six, had slipped through the railings that bordered the large canyon. The canyon had about twenty feet of steep cliff side that led to a sixty foot drop. At the moment, Ally was around four feet from the drop.

"Someone help my baby!" Janet pleaded. A few people were on their cells and a few others were trying to think of ways to get to the girl before something tragic occurred. "Please! Ally, hang on!"

"Mommy!" Ally yelled back. She was halfway lying down and her beautiful green eyes were huge with fright. "Mommy, help!"

"Just hang on!" Janet was becoming hysterical. She had allowed Ally to take the day off from school because her daughter had been begging to see the canyon since she heard that her big sister, Star, was going there on a field trip. Janet figured that, seeing as she had already signed up to chaperone, she might as well bring Ally along for the ride.

"Ally, just stay there," Star ordered. "Please. Just hang on."

"What do we do?" Paulina asked, gripping Star's arm as Star gripped the railing.

Another teen was beside in the next moment. He put one foot on the railing and then the other, climbing over it.

"What are you doing?" Star snapped. "Fenton, you're going to fall or something! Or make it worse!"

"I'm going to help her," Danny announced. He took a deep breath and, still holding onto the bar, lowered himself to be sitting on the cliff side.

"Don't get hurt," Sam warned. She and Tucker stood by the railing as the crowd around them watched with fear.

"Mr. Fenton, get back up here!" Mr. Lancer demanded. "It's not safe!"

"Don't worry about me," Danny muttered. He let go, sliding at a quick pace down the side. He dug his heels into the rocky surface to stop himself about eight feet away from Ally…and about five feet from the drop off. "Hey, Ally," he called. Ally cried and wailed, ignoring him. "Ally." Still nothing. "Ally!" he shouted a bit harshly. The blonde haired girl paused and sniffed. "Listen to me. Stop crying. Crying is not going to help you, so be quiet, okay?" She nodded a little, sniffing one last time. "Good." Danny's voice came out a lot calmer and he smiled. "I'm going to help you. Now, I want you to remain as still as you can."

"Okay…" Ally replied.

"Sam!" Danny called up. "Go into my bag."

"What do you want?" the Goth asked.

"Get the Ghost Fisher."

"Got it!"

"Okay, now wrap the handle around the railing as tight as you can." Sam started the process and Danny suddenly felt one of his feet slip down. A piece of flat rock disappeared over the drop. "Hurrying up would be good. I think I might fall, and that would be a cruddy thing to inform my parents of."

"Done, Danny!" Tucker informed, helping Sam to stretch out the fishing line. "What next?"

"Now, throw the rope down." Sam aimed for Danny and tossed the line; he set it against the cliff and looked back at Ally. "Ally, I'm going to come closer to you. Stay exactly where you are."

"My feet are slipping," she said.

"That's…not good. Okay, dig your fingers into the dirt."

"There are too many rocks."

"Just try."

"I can't."

"Try."

"But—"

"Do you want me to help you? Try, Ally. If you don't try, I can't help you and you're going to fall. Dig your fingers in the dirt." Ally's eyes widened and she obeyed immediately.

"Be nice to her," Star threatened from above. "She didn't do anything."

"Star, saying nice things is not going to get her up, so shut you face," Danny responded. "Ally has to follow my orders if she wants to get back up."

"Don't talk to me like that—!"

"Star!" Janet cut in. "Leave it alone."

"Danny, what's next?" Sam asked on her chance to speak.

"I'm going to make my way over to Ally and tie the line around her," Danny explained. "You're going to pull her up first and then drop it back down for me."

"Why not the both of you?"

"I'll be too heavy to add. Just get her up first." Danny licked his lips and slowly skidded sideways to the little girl. "Ally, are you scared?"

Ally blinked at him. Of course she was scared. What kind of question was that? "Yeah…"

"Does Star get scared sometimes?"

"No. She's a big girl. Big girls don't get scared," Ally said in a matter of fact tone.

"They don't?" Danny acted surprised as he moved closer. "Really?"

"Nope. Star doesn't sleep with a nightlight because she's a big girl. When I'm her age, I won't have one, either."

"Is that so?"

"Yup."

"Well, would you believe me if I said that I had a nightlight in my room?"

"You can't because you're a big boy."

"Oh, you got me, Ally. I don't have a nightlight. I used to, though, when I was your age. But big kids don't get scared?"

"Nope. They're big kids."

"So Star doesn't get scared?"

"Nope."

"Does your mom get scared?"

"Mommies don't get scared. They can't."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Well, Ally, your mom and Star look scared now."

Ally turned her head to see their faces and then turned back to Danny. "They're _worried_. They're not _scared_."

"What's the difference?" Danny paused as another rock slipped away from under his foot.

"I'm scared of spiders, but I'm worried about being in second grade."

"Oh, I see," Danny agreed and nodded.

"Do you get worried?"

"I do. I'm worried right now. Are you worried or scared right now?"

"Scared."

"I don't understand."

"I'm scared to become a ghost."

Danny smirked. "It's not that bad, you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know some ghosts and they think it's awesome because they can go through walls and stuff."

"Whoa."

"Yup. Ally, do you think that I can get scared?"

"Nope. You're a big boy. Big kids never get scared."

"Ally, did you know that everyone gets scared? Even big kids and mommies. We all get scared."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, we do."

"No, you don't."

"Ally, do you think you'll get over your fear of spiders?"

"No. They're scary."

"So when you're a big kid, you'll be scared of them?"

Ally opened her mouth to answer and then shut it. "Big kids get scared," she realized in a surprised tone.

"We do. But some of us can learn to not be scared."

"Are you scared right now?"

"No. I'm not scared."

"But you might fall."

"But that doesn't scare me. You want to know what scares me?"

"What?" Ally seemed astounded by the fact that everyone has fears.

"I'm scared of not being able to help someone. I wouldn't want them to get hurt. What else are you afraid of?"

"Uh… I don't like beetles."

Danny chuckled. "I'm scared…of…" He chewed on his lip to think. "I'm scared of the future."

"Is it because aliens are going to show up?"

"Aliens? No. No aliens. I'm scared of the future because I don't know what's going to happen."

"Oh. That makes more sense."

Danny was about a foot away from Ally and he looked up to the crowd. "Now, Ally, I'm going to tie this around you. Can you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Can you promise that you won't be scared no matter what as you go up?"

"I don't know. I don't want to fall."

"What if I promised that you won't fall?"

"…okay. I won't be scared."

"Good. Now, only move when I tell you, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Just lift up a little." Danny slid one end of the line under Ally and then stretched it around her waist. He threaded it through multiple times to thicken its strength and then began to knot it tight. After lightly pulling it to be sure, Danny called up to Sam and Tucker to start pulling. "Don't be scared," he reminded.

"I know," Ally replied. She clung to the line, and he watched the process of the six-year-old being raised upwards until hands grabbed her and she was dragged through the railing. Cheers went up and Danny sighed in relief. Now all that was left was for him to be saved.

Danny snorted. _Him_ needing saving? How ironic.

"You okay, Danny?" Tucker asked.

"I'm fine. How's Ally?"

"She's all right. We'll drop the line as soon as we untie it."

"Take your time."

"Scared, Danny?" Sam said jokingly.

"Oh, yeah," Danny returned sarcastically. "I am petrified."

"I figured."

"Just as long as I get up eventually, I don't ca—" Danny stopped when he felt himself slip a little. "Crap! Sam, Tucker, hurry! I think gravity is turning against me!"

"Hang on!"

"Will try!" Danny did what he had told Ally to do and dug his fingers between the rocks into the dirt.

"Don't be scared," Ally called.

He looked up at her. "I promise I won't, Ally. Just don't fall again, okay?"

"I won't. And what's your name again?"

"Danny."

"You've met ghosts?" Ally returned to the topic.

"Yeah. Lots."

"What are they like?"

"Some are nice and some are _mean_!" Danny yelled the last word as he went a little further down.

"Hang on, kid!" a new voice said. A glance to check revealed a fireman. "I got a rope to toss you. Just hang on."

"Uh, sure. But I can't say for how long this hanging will go."

"You do this stuff a lot?"

"Well…" Danny smiled sheepishly. "Normally, I'm not the one at risk afterwards."

"Brave but stupid."

"So I've heard." Danny was losing his grip. "Okay… Um… If I don't get the rope in the next few seconds, I'm moving to the Ghost Zone. And I'd really rather not."

A rope started on its way down and Danny breathed. He waited as patiently as he could, attempting to edge a bit upwards and away from the drop. Falling sixty feet to solid rock was not a good thing. Danny reached a hand up to grasp the rope, and winding the rope around his wrists as tight as he could.

"I'm good to go!" Danny announced.

"Shouldn't you try to tie it?"

"It's better for me this way. Trust me."

"You better be right, kid." The fireman began pulling the rope upwards with a few of his men.

Danny cursed under his breath as sharp rocks cut into his arms, but brushed it off as well as he could. The rope burn on his wrists seemed worse. Sam reached her hands through the railing and roughly latched onto Danny's collar, pulling as hard as she could to get him up.

"When did you get so heavy?" Sam huffed.

He laughed. "It's called muscle for your information." He helped himself through the space in the railing and quickly started ripping the rope from his wrists. "Thanks, guys." A pair of small arms curled around him.

"Thank you, Danny!" Ally squealed. "I thought I was a goner, but now I'm not 'cause of you. You saved me! And now I'm not scared anymore! Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Ally. You okay?"

"Yup!"

"That's good." Danny pushed himself to his feet and tried to avoid the steaming look from his teacher. "…you're calling my parents about this aren't you?"

"Yes, Daniel, I am," Mr. Lancer answered sternly. A hint of a smile appeared as he murmured, "Nice work, by the way." Danny grinned.

"Thank you," Janet said, crushing Danny in a hug of her own. "Oh, thank you so much! Thank you!"

"It's really no big deal," Danny said once released. "Seriously—"

"Well, Fenton," Star began stiffly. She clenched her fists and pecked his cheek. "…thanks for helping my sister." She took Ally by the hand, and they and their mother walked some distance away to be checked out by an ambulance. It was then that Danny suddenly felt himself get smacked in the back of the head.

"You were stupid," Sam stated. "Stop being stupid."

"I am making no promises. No promises…"

"What was with you and asking Ally all those questions?" Tucker piped up.

"It took her mind off it."

Sam snorted. "You used to have a nightlight?"

Danny raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, I did. I was afraid of the dust bunnies under my bed. Not the monsters. Actual dust bunnies." Sam and Tucker exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

"Let's get out of here," Tucker moaned. "I'm tired."

"Aw," Danny pouted. "You don't want to go rock climbing?"

Tucker gazed at him for a second and then started walking away. "That's not funny," he insisted.

Danny trailed after him with a chuckle. "Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"It's hilarious. Admit it."

"No way, man."

"Come on."

"No. It's not funny."

"Yes, it is."

Sam rolled her eyes and followed her two friends. "Okay, so it's a little funny," she agreed.

"See?" Danny wondered. "Sam thinks it's funny."

"I said a little."

"I don't care what you guys say, that was funny…"


End file.
